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In Africa, native expert Jungle Jim meets Watanga prince Zuwaba to reassure him that Commissioner Kingston will attend the coronation of King Boganda the following day. On the return to Kingston's camp, Jim spots a white couple under assault by Maura natives led by the notorious Zulu, and rescues them. Jim escorts the couple, Dr. Bonnie Crandle and Inspector Jeff Bernard from Scotland Yard, who are part of Kingston's party, to the camp and sends soldiers to pick up the unconscious Zulu. Kingston introduces Jim, Bonnie and Jeff to Mr. Leroux, a highly placed French member of the world diamond syndicate, who informs Jim that a new diamond mine has been discovered in Kambeziland, but the syndicate fears someone may be trying to flood the world market with diamonds. Two of the three men who discovered the mine were murdered en route to London and all the maps and mine information were stolen. Jim is skeptical that the diamond mine could be harvested without the knowledge of the rest of the jungle. The next morning Jim discovers that someone has helped Zulu escape. After the ceremony for King Boganda in the Watanga village, Kingston asks Bonnie to examine Zuwaba's wife N'Gala, who is experiencing a difficult pregnancy. Bonnie recommends that N'Gala be transferred to a hospital, but Boganda and Zuwaba insist that the future heir to the tribe must be born in Kambeziland. Meanwhile, Leroux, who has supposedly departed for a jungle inspection, meets with Zulu and his men. Leroux is behind the plan to steal the diamonds and agrees to share the haul with Zulu in exchange for his assistance. He asks Zulu to kidnap the Kambezi royal family, hoping to divert Kingston and the army from investigating the diamond mine. When Leroux spots the last man connected with the mine discovery in the jungle, he shoots him and removes all documentation about the mine. The man manages to stumble onto a raft, where Jim discovers him, but he dies before Bonnie can help. Bonnie presents Jim and Kingston with the bullet that killed the man, which is identified as from a French pistol. Jim reveals his suspicions that Leroux is behind the plans against the diamond mine. Just then, Kingston receives a report that the jungle on the edge of the Watanga village has been set afire by Zulu and the Mauras. Concerned that it will take too long to summon government troops to help, Kingston orders Jeff to fly Jim and Bonnie into Kambeziland and help save Boganda and his family. As the jungle erupts into pandemonium over the fire, Zuwaba rushes into Watanaga and discovers Boganda has died defending N'Gala, who has collapsed. When Zuwaba tries to take his wife to freedom, they are captured by Zulu. Jeff, Bonnie and Jim land near the village and Jim orders the couple to find Zuwaba while he searches for Leroux. Jim discovers a French transport ship anchored off the river and Zuwaba and N'Gala held captured on board, along with a large shipment of caged animals. He rescues the couple and returns them to Kambeziland. There, Bonnie helps N'Gala give birth to a son, but N'Gala dies. Jim informs Kingston that he believes Leroux is using the shipments of jungle animals to zoos worldwide as a cover to smuggle out the diamonds. Later, Jim and Jeff examine several cages on shore waiting to be loaded and find a cache of diamonds. In Kambeziland, Zulu kidnaps Bonnie and Zuwaba's baby, while Zuwaba is away gathering his people after the fire. Jim and Jeff stumble upon Leroux but are discovered and imprisoned with Bonnie and the baby. Bonnie tells them that she has learned that Zulu and the Mauras are planning another attack on Watanga to prevent the inhabitants from returning, confirming Jim's suspicions that the diamond mine must be very near Watanga. Hoping to make his escape in the government plane, Leroux discovers that Jeff has tampered with the machine, and demands he fix it. At the plane, Jim's pet chimpanzee Tamba creates a diversion, allowing Jeff and Jim to escape. They return to Leroux's camp secretly and take several sticks of dynamite before returning to the Watanga village for Zuwaba. Jim then sets up the explosives in the hills above the Mauras' camp and leaves Zuwaba to detonate the explosives at sunset. With Jeff, Jim returns to the Mauras' camp to rescue Bonnie and the baby. Jim sends Jeff back with them and upon overhearing Leroux planning to escape, follows him. Zulu attacks Jim, who kills him then catches up with the fleeing Leroux on a cliff, where the men struggle until Leroux falls to his death. At sunset Zuwaba detonates the explosives, causing a rock slide that destroys the Mauras' camp. Soon after, as Jim, Jeff and Bonnie look on, Kingston presents the new king Zuwaba with the diamonds, which he hopes will rebuild Watanga.